The Alarming Rise in Deaths in Custody in Lebanon: A Call to Wake Up

Lebanese Authorities Must Prioritize Prisoners’ Health Amid Soaring Custodial Deaths

The latest report by Amnesty International has revealed that custodial deaths in Lebanese Ministry of Interior-run prisons almost doubled in 2022 compared to 2018, the year before the ongoing acute economic crisis began. The numbers increased from 14 in 2015 to 18 in 2018 and leaped to 34 in 2022. The report also implored judicial authorities to conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations to determine whether prison officials’ misconduct or negligence contributed to these deaths. Overcrowding, lack of adequate resources, and impunity for ill-treatment are structural factors that also exacerbated the problem.

Prison reform advocates have called on the Lebanese government to address the worsening crisis, demanding that immediate measures be taken to revamp the prison system completely. The report raises concerns that the sharp increase in deaths in custody might be linked to the severe economic crisis plaguing the country. Although the authorities have tried to shift the blame for the deaths to economic hardship, families of the deceased prisoners claim that prison officials often dismiss their complaints and symptoms, causing critical medical conditions to deteriorate further.

Furthermore, the Amnesty International report reveals that prisons lack basic healthcare resources; resources for the provision of healthcare have drastically decreased since 2019, and the real value of the Ministry of Interior’s budget for healthcare for people in prison has decreased from 7.3 million US dollars in 2019 to around 628,000 US dollars in 2022. As a result, prisons are not adequately staffed, and prison pharmacies lack basic medication such as painkillers and antibiotics. This lack of access to proper medical care has left prisoners at even greater risk of death.

Given the country’s ongoing economic crisis, the government has failed to pay hospitals bills for the treatment of people in custody, leading many hospitals to refuse to admit patients from prison or demand upfront payment, even in emergency treatment cases, which is a flagrant violation of Lebanese law. The government should ensure that all individuals in its custody receive proper healthcare promptly, without any financial obligations for the families.

In accordance with the UN Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death, prison directors must report all deaths in custody to the ordinary judiciary, which is independent of the prison administration. The government should commit additional resources to ensure that prison authorities can improve conditions and healthcare in prisons and other places of detention. The provision of healthcare for prisoners is a state responsibility and must be free of charge under both Lebanese and international law.

It is crucial that Lebanese authorities urgently prioritize the health of prisoners and conduct thorough investigations into the cause of these deaths. The sharp increase in deaths should be a wake-up call to the Lebanese government that they need to overhaul their prison system immediately to address the fundamental violations of human rights. All shortcomings and neglect on the part of authorities should be addressed and prosecuted if necessary. It is high time that the Lebanese government takes a proactive approach in reforming its prisons and other places of detention.

Justice.-Lebanon,DeathsinCustody,HumanRights,Justice,Accountability